National integrity

Bengali

One Bengali = poet.

Two Bengalis = a film society.

Three Bengalis = political party.

Four Bengalis = two political parties.

More than four Bengali's = Countrywide agitation to bring Ganguli into Team.

Bihari

 One Bihari = Laloo Prasad Yadav.

 Two Biharis = booth-capturing squad.

 Three Biharis = caste killing.

 Four Biharis = entire literate population of Patna.

Punjabi

 One Punjabi =100 kg hulk named Pinky.

 Two Punjabis = Pinky with his bigger brother Twinky.

 Three Punjabis = assault on the McAloo Tikkis at the local McDonalds.

 Four Punjabis = combined IQ equal to one.

Mallu

 One Mallu = coconut stall.

 Two Mallus = a boat race.

 Three Mallus = Gulf job racket.

 Four Mallus = oil slick.

UP Bhaiyya

 One UP bhaiyya = a milkman.

 Two UP bhaiyyas = halwai shop.

 Three UP bhaiyyas = a fist-fight in the UP assembly.

 Four UP bhaiyyas = mosque-destruction squad.

Gujju

 One Gujju = share-broker in a Bombaytrain.

 Two Gujjus = rummy game in a Bombaytrain.

 Three Gujjus = Bombay's noisiest restaurant.

 Four Gujjus = stock market scam.

Andhraite

 One Andhraite = chili farmer.

 Two Andhraites = software company in New Jersey.

 Three Andhraites = Naxalite outfit.

 Four Andhraites = song-and-dance number in a Telugu movie.

Kashmiri

 One Kashmiri = carpet salesman.

 Two Kashmiris = carpet factory.

 Three Kashmiris = terrorist outfit.

 Four Kashmiris = shoot-at-sight order.

Tamil-Brahmin

 One Tam-Brahm = priest at the Vardarajaperumal temple.

 Two Tam-Brahms = Maths tuition class.

 Three Tam-Brahms = Queue outside the U.S consulate at 4 a.m.

 Four Tam-Brahms = Thyagaraja music festival in Santa Clara.

Mumbaikar

 One Mumbaikar = footpath vada-pav stall.

 Two Mumbaikars = film studio.

 Three Mumbaikars = slum.

 Four Mumbaikars = The number of people standing on your foot in the train at rush hour.

Sindhi

 One Sindhi = currency racket.

 Two Sindhis = papad factory.

 Three Sindhis = duplicate goods shop in Ulhasnagar.

 Four Sindhis = Hong Kong Retail Traders Association.

Marwari

 One Marwari = The neighbourhood foodstuffs adulterator.

 Two Marwaris = 50% of Calcutta.

 Three Marwaris = Finish off all Gujaratis & Sindhis.

 Four Marwaris = Threaten the Jews as a community.

Haryanvi

 One Haryanavi = tube light

 Two Haryanavi = agriculture

 Three Haryannavi= Lathi squad

 Four Haryanavi = actually just one was enough

FIVE WORST THINGS YOU CAN DO IF YOU HAVE DEBT

Do you have a significant amount of debt? Make sure you are not making decisions that will get you deeper into the hole. Find out what the worst things you can do are here!

How Life Works shares…

If you’re struggling with too much debt you’re not alone.  It seems as if the whole nation has a borrowing hangover.  For years, credit was easy and many people became overextended.  But, we now live in an era of austerity and it’s time to get our affairs in order.

The five strategies you may want to avoid:

The first advice of experts in the field is to be sure you don’t make your situation worse by making common mistakes.  In particular try to avoid:

• Paying only the minimum payment on your debt, as this will result in the amount you owe actually growing, and your problems will only become worse.
• Relying on friends and family, as this can damage relationships with the most important people in your life.
• Unscrupulous credit counselors that demand cash upfront, or high fees for help they promise, but don’t deliver.
• Using new high-interest loans to pay off lower interest rate loans–while it may be easier to just have one payment, it will actually increase the amount you have to pay back.
• Declaring bankruptcy – avoid if you can, especially when debt settlement may work for you…

Debt Settlement

For many people, working with a debt consolidation company can actually be a great solution.  You’ve probably heard a lot of advertising for these services recently, but what exactly do they do?

Debt settlement is the process of negotiating with creditors to get them to forgive a big portion of your unsecured debt. Unsecured debt includes credit cards and medical bills, but does not include mortgages, auto loans, student debt and taxes.

Why would a credit card company do this? Well, it’s not out of the generosity of their heart.  They have made the financial calculations and determined they are better off knowing for certain that they’ll get paid something, rather than not knowing at all if they will get paid anything.

Consolidation companies work with individual consumers to determine a reasonable monthly amount that they can afford to pay against their debt load.  The individual makes the affordable payment every month into a special-purpose account, and, as these funds accumulate, the consolidation company reaches out to creditors to negotiate a full and final actual settlement amount that they will take.

Get more information from How Life Works!

 

SIX THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE OPENING A SEASONAL BUSINESS

As we swing into Spring, you may be considering opening a seasonal business as a quick way to make some cash. If this is the case, you should check out these tips to create the most successful business possible!

Business on Main suggests…

From ski lodges to costume stores to beach supply shops, running a seasonal business can come with risks and rewards. Here’s how to weather the possible storms.

What sort of business is best?
Take into account the setting of your business. For instance, a vacation destination would lend itself to varied tourist-oriented businesses, such as restaurants and tour services. Communities without a natural tourist draw might be better served by a holiday focus, such as a Thanksgiving and Christmas catering service.

Consider, too, the level of risk. For example, a lakeside snack shop can pretty much rely on a certain number of summertime visitors. On the other hand, a snow removal service may spend the winter months twiddling its thumbs if there’s no snow to be removed.

Calculate cash flow conservatively

As far as cash flow goes, you’re likely dealing with a very lopsided formula. Your income may be relegated to three months or even less, but inventory has to be ordered in advance and other costs are bound to crop up outside your peak periods. So, budget carefully. Keep overhead low as long as possible and look to save at every opportunity. “That means things like buying used office equipment and shopping carefully for office supplies,” says Annie Logue, a lecturer in finance at University of Illinois at Chicago.

Build a year-round financial plan

If your business is running for a limited period of time, think about your financial needs when everything is shuttered. Do you have sufficient savings to last during the down months? Do you plan to work at another job to make up for an absence of business income? Although you need to focus on the specifics of your business financials, considering the year in its entirety can keep your finances on as even a keel as possible.

Market ahead of time

One seasonal business landmine is opening up for the season and simply expecting customers to appear. Don’t go on blind faith. Be sure that you get the word out with marketing and advertising campaigns that kick off well in advance.

“If you run a summer camp, make sure you’re communicating to your list of past attendees starting in January. If you provide holiday decorating help, beginning promotions after Labor Day is not too early,” says Marcia Layton Turner, author of “The Unofficial Guide to Starting a Small Business.” “Even better, stay in touch year-round to reduce the number of clients you lose from year to year.”

Make your employees want to come back

Another hurdle to operating on a seasonal basis is keeping a talented workforce, not to mention the expense of having to orient and train newcomers. Avoid the issue by making yours a business that workers want to rejoin every season. Build a productive and inclusive work environment and provide financial incentives. Additionally, keep in touch with solid employees during the offseason to remind them how much you’re looking forward to working with them again.

When the season comes, respond with quality

Seasonal businesses have a relatively tight income window, so be sure to make the most of it. If a customer calls, move quickly and be obsessive about customer satisfaction. “Homeowners gearing up for the holidays won’t take as long to choose a re-upholstery provider, because there are only a few weeks to get the job done,” says Turner. “The same goes for help planting a garden or putting down garden mulch — the decision can’t wait too long, or the season will pass by.”

Get more great tips from Business on Main!

 

Telling Left From Right

iStockphoto/iLexx

Accurate Detection of Interaural Time Differences by a Population of Slowly Integrating Neurons

Viacheslav A. Vasilkov and Ruben A. Tikidji-Hamburyan

Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 138104 (2012)

Published March 29, 2012

One way that animals, including humans, locate a sound source is by detecting slight differences in the arrival times of sound waves to the left and right ears. Animal auditory systems are capable of detecting interaural time differences of less than 100 microseconds, even though individual neurons respond on the relatively sluggish time scale of milliseconds.

Neurons are often modeled as electrical circuits, so understanding the timing sensitivity of the auditory system is analogous to designing a detector that operates faster than any of its components. Now, writing in Physical Review Letters, Viacheslav Vasilkov at Southern Federal University in Russia and Ruben Tikidji-Hamburyan at Louisiana State University, New Orleans, present a computational model to test the hypothesis that interaural sensitivity could be related to so-called EI neurons, found in the mid-brain section of the auditory system.

A long-standing model for interaural detection assumes neurons act as coincidence detectors, responding most strongly when signals from both ears arrive at the same time. In this picture, nerve fibers act as delay lines for certain cells, meaning these cells will respond only when a signal from one ear is sent earlier than the other.

Vasilkov and Tikidji-Hamburyan instead model the interaural detection system as a population of more than 10,000 EI cells, each of which receives excitation signals from one ear and inhibition signals from the other. In the authors’ model, the maximum membrane potential of any one cell depends on the time difference between the excitation and inhibition signal;
 thus different neurons reach threshold and start firing for different stimuli.
 A heterogeneous mixture of these cells, which combines the thousands of thresholds of individual cells, can, according to the authors, detect interaural timing differences with microsecond accuracy. – Jessica Thomas

Source: American Physical Society
http://physics.aps.org/synopsis-for/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.138104

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Maasai Mara - The Greatest Wildlife Spectacle on Earth

The Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya is witness to the most spectacular wildlife migration on earth. Wildlife photographer KALYAN VARMA captures the poetic beauty of the Mara in monotone.

© KALYAN VARMA

Black rhino in Maasai Mara. Africa has two species of rhinoceros -- the White or Square-lipped Rhino and the Black or Hook-lipped Rhino. Both are highly endangered and protected in Africa, though many still fall to hunters. Rhinos are poached for their horns, which are believed to possess aphrodisiac properties. The horn, which is in fact made of matted hair-like tissue, fetches insanely huge prices in the black markets of China and Southeast Asia. Rightly, conservationists believe that for the killing to stop, the buying must first be stopped.

© KALYAN VARMA

"The tree where man was born." The continuity of the savanna, the great grassy plain of the Masai Mara, is broken by these hardy acacia trees. 

© KALYAN VARMA





Three cheetah siblings, known locally as Honey's Boys, bring down a wildebeest. The migration is eagerly awaited by lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas, for it brings a treasure trove of food for them. Most wildebeest calve on the way to the Mara and the young ones become easy prey for opportunistic predators

 

© KALYAN VARMA

             

Cape Buffalo in Maasai Mara. Among the most impressive of herbivores, buffaloes are strong and formidable. They are known to be unpredictable and aggressive, often chasing away lions and other predators. Big game hunters of yore wrote that bullets ricocheted off the animal's great horns.

© KALYAN VARMA

Two zebra strike a pose in Maasai Mara, watched by an oxpecker, a bird that frequently follows grazing animals seeking out insects in their skin. Of the three species of zebra in Africa, this (the Plains Zebra) is the most common. The other two -- the Grevy's Zebra and the Mountain Zebra -- are endangered. 


© KALYAN VARMAElephants in the Maasai Mara. African elephants are larger than Asian elephants. There are two recognized species of African elephants -- the African Bush Elephant shown here and the smaller African Forest Elephant, which is found in the rainforests of the Congo.

© KALYAN VARMA

A giraffe stands in the shade of an acacia tree in the Maasai Mara. Giraffes, the tallest land animals (adult males are up to 20 feet tall), are among the residents of the Mara.
© KALYAN VARMA

The alpha male of the marsh pride, this African lion represents the majesty that has so often translated to myth and legend. Lions once ranged all over Africa and West Asia including India. Today, they are restricted to pockets in Africa and one subspecies is limited to a small sanctuary in Gujarat. Wild lions were mercilessly hunted across Africa and now remain relatively safe only in the great wildlife reserves

Konjum Salangai - Arutpa

பொறுமையுடன் நினது திருமலரடி நினைக்கின்ற உத்தமர் தம் உறவு வேண்டும்,உள் ஒன்று வைத்து புறம் ஒன்று பேசுபவர் உறவு கலவாமை வேண்டும்,அருட்ப்பா,அருமையான கீதமாக,கொஞ்சும் சலங்கையில் இடம்பெற்றது,

இன்வெர்ட்டர்

மின்சார தட்டுப்பாடு தமிழகத்தில் தலைவிரித்தாடும் இச்சமயத்தில், இன்வெர்ட்டர்களை விற்கும் நிறுவனங்களும், வியாபாரிகளும் சந்தோஷத்தில் குதித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். காரணம், ஒரு மாதத்தில் 15 இன்வெர்ட்டர்களே விற்பனையான கடையில், இன்று ஐநூறுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட இன்வெர்ட்டர்கள் விற்பனையாகிறது. இந்நிலையில் புதிதாக இன்வெர்ட்டர் வாங்குபவர்கள் கவனிக்க வேண்டிய விஷயங்கள் என்னென்ன, ஏற்கெனவே வைத்திருப்பவர்கள் அதை எப்படி பராமரிப்பது என்பது குறித்து இன்வெர்ட்டர் இன்ஜினீயரும் கொங்கு இன்ஜினீயர்ஸ் நிறுவனத்தின் உரிமையாளருமான கே.பெரியசாமி அவர்கள் கூறியதாவது :


''இன்வெர்ட்டர்களில் இரண்டு வகை இருக்கிறது. ஒன்று, சைன் வேவ் இன்வெர்ட்டர். இரண்டாவது, ஸ்கொயர்வேவ் இன்வெர்ட்டர். இந்த இரண்டு வகையிலும் குறைந்த பட்சம் 250 வாட்ஸ், 400 வாட்ஸ் என இரண்டு வகை உண்டு. 250வாட்ஸில் ஒரு விளக்கு, ஒரு ஃபேன் இயங்கும். 400 வாட்ஸில் இரண்டு விளக்கு, இரண்டு ஃபேன் இயங்கும்.
இந்த இரண்டுமே பெரும்பாலும் இப்போது நடைமுறையில் இல்லை. இப்போது இருப்பது 650 வாட்ஸ் இன்வெர்ட்டர்கள்தான். இதில் ஒரு ஃபேன், ஒரு விளக்கு, ஒரு டி.வி. இயங்கும். 850 வாட்ஸ் கொண்ட இன்வெர்ட்டர்தான் நடுத்தர மக்களுக்கும், சிறுதொழில் செய்பவர்களுக்கும் அதிகம் பயன்படும். இன்றைய நிலையில் அதிகம் விற்பனை ஆகக்கூடிய இன்வெர்ட்டரும் இதுதான். இதில் ஐந்து விளக்குகள், நாலு ஃபேன் அல்லது டி.வி. அல்லது கம்ப்யூட்டர் அல்லது மிக்ஸியை இயக்கலாம்.

பொதுவாக இன்வெர்ட்டர்கள் எல்லாமே தானாக இயங்குபவை என்பதால், மின்சாரம் தடைபட்டவுடன் இயங்க ஆரம்பித்துவிடும். மின்சாரம் வந்ததும் அதன் இயக்கம் தானாகவே நின்று விடும். இன்வெர்ட்டரில் சார்ஜ் குறைந்துவிட்டால், மின்சாரத் திலிருந்து அதுவாகவே சார்ஜ் ஆகிக் கொள்ளும். இதனால் இன்வெர்ட்டர், பேட்டரி இரண்டையுமே கரன்ட் கனெக்ஷனில்தான் வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும்'' என்றவர், இன்வெர்ட்டர் வாங்கும்போது கவனிக்க வேண்டிய விஷயங்களை பட்டியலிட்டார்.

கவனிக்க வேண்டிய விஷயங்கள்:

தேவைக்குத் தகுந்தபடி இன்வெர்ட்டர் மாடல்களை தேர்வு செய்ய வேண்டும்.

மூன்று மணி நேரம் கரன்ட் கட் ஆகிற பகுதிகளில், அதற்கு ஏற்றார்போல மின்சாரத்தை சேமிக்கக் கூடிய பேட்டரிகளை தேர்வு செய்வது நல்லது.
இன்வெர்ட்டருக்கு அதிக டிமாண்ட் நிலவும் இச்சமயத்தில் இன்வெர்ட்டருக்கான பேட்டரி என்று சொல்லி, வேறு ஏதாவது ஒரு பேட்டரியை நம் தலையில் கட்டிவிட வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. எனவே, கவனமாக இருப்பது அவசியம்.

நீண்ட காலமாக இன்வெர்ட்டர் தயாரித்து வரும் நிறுவனங்களின் இன்வெர்ட்டர் மற்றும் பேட்டரிகளை வாங்கலாம்.

இன்வெர்ட்டர் வாங்கும் போது அந்த நிறுவனத்தின் சர்வீஸ் எப்படி இருக்கும் என்பதையும் கவனிக்க வேண்டும்.

ஸ்கொயர்வேவ் இன்வெர்ட்டர்கள் வாங்குவதைவிட சைன்வேவ் இன்வெர்ட்டர்களை வாங்குவது நல்லது. ஏனெனில், சைன்வேவ் இன்வெர்ட்டர் நம் வீட்டுக்குத் தேவையான அளவு மின்சாரத்தை முழுமையாகத் தரும். இதனால், எலெக்ட்ரானிக் பொருட்கள் கெட்டுப் போகாது. ஆனால், ஸ்கொயர்வேவ் இன்வெர்ட்டர்களை வாங்கி பயன்படுத்தும்போது ஃபேன், மிக்ஸி மாதிரியான எலெக்ட்ரானிக் பொருட்களில் இரைச்சலான சத்தம் வரும். இதனால் எலெக்ட்ரானிக் பொருட்கள் விரைவில் கெட்டுப்போக வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது.

பராமரிப்பது எப்படி?

இப்போது மின்தட்டுப்பாடு அதிகமிருந்தாலும், இந்த பிரச்னை இன்னும் சில மாதம் கழித்து கொஞ்சம் தணியலாம். அந்த சமயத்தில், இன்வெர்ட்டரை பூட்டி, அப்படி ஒரு ஓரத்தில் வைத்து விடக் கூடாது. மாதம் ஒருமுறையேனும் கிடைக்கும் மின்சாரத்தை நிறுத்திவிட்டு, இன்வெட்டர் மின்சாரத்தை பயன்படுத்தினால் இன்வெட்டரும் பேட்டரியும் பழுதடையாமல் இருக்கும்.

பேட்டரியில் இருக்கும் டிஸ்டில்ட் வாட்டர் குறையும் பட்சத்தில், அதை கட்டாயம் நிரப்பி வைக்க வேண்டும். இதை செய்யாவிட்டால், இன்வெட்டர் இயங்காது. பேட்டரிகளில் டியூப்ளர் மற்றும் ஃப்ளாட் பிளேட்னு இரண்டு வகை இருக்கிறது. இதில் டியூப்ளர் பேட்டரி பயன்படுத்துவது நல்லது. இது நீண்ட காலத்துக்கு உழைக்கும். மற்ற பேட்டரிகளைவிட பராமரிப்புச் செலவும் குறைவுதான்'' என்றார்.

இன்வெர்ட்டர் பற்றிய அடிப்படை விஷயங்களைச் சொல்லிவிட்டோம். இனி இதை பின்பற்ற வேண்டிய பொறுப்பு உங்கள் கையில்!

பதிவு உதவி செய்தவர் Vasanthakumar Graphicdesigner

 — with Ramjhi Issai Mazhalai and 29 others.

Nagoorkani Kader Mohideen Basha

Solar Power

No need to go for UPS which are costly. They are meant for Table top PC's to prevent loss of data at power failures. Using UPS for normal Light and Fan is not required. Cheaper solution is to go for Battery charged with AC main and use normal AC sine wave inverter for other uses. This could be a cheaper option. Use deep cycle maintenance free batteries. If you have plenty of money you can go for UPS to take all the possible loads. You can have a normal AC battery charger also added if you need same. Using Micro MPPT charger on the Solar PV circuit will increase the amount of electricity charging the battery.Micro-inverters have several advantages over conventional central inverters. The main advantage is that, even small amounts of shading, debris or snow lines in any one solar panel, or a panel failure, does not disproportionately reduce the output of an entire array. Each micro-inverter obtains optimum power by performing maximum power point tracking for its connected panel. - for further How to calculate your solar power requirements

There are three things to consider choosing a Solar panel or creating a Solar system.

You need to know how much energy your battery can store and then select a Solar panel that can replenish your ‘stock’ of energy in the battery in line with your pattern of use.

1: How much energy can your battery store?

Battery capacity is measured in Amp Hours (eg 20 AH). You need to convert this to Watt Hours by multiplying the AH figure by the battery voltage (eg 12V).

For a 20 AH, 12V battery the Watt Hours figure is 20 x 12 = 240 WH

This means the battery could supply 240W for 1 hour, or 120W for 2 hours i.e. the more energy you take, the faster the battery discharges.
2: How much energy will your appliance(s) use over a period of time?

The power consumption of appliances is given in Watts (eg Standard LED lamp, 7W). To calculate the energy you will use over time, just multiply the power consumption by the hours of use.

The 7W LED light fitting, on for 2 hours, will take 7 x 2 = 14WH from the battery.

Repeat this for all the appliances you wish to use and then add the results to establish total consumption.

3: How much energy can a Solar panel generate over a period of time?

The power generation rating of a Solar panel is also given in Watts (eg 50W). To calculate the energy it can supply to the battery, multiply Watts by the hours exposed to sunshine, then multiply the result by 0.9 (this factor allows for natural system losses).

For the Solar 50W panel in 5.5 Average hours of sunshine a good figure for TN:-, 50 x 5.5 x 0.9 = 247.5 WH. This is the amount of energy the Solar panel can supply to the battery. Battery has storage efficiency of 0.9 to give as output
4. How much will the Solar PV cost now in India as per Eg. PEP INFOTECH LTD the price is $1.5 to 2.6 depends on the quantity of purchase.
So you may be able to get your 50W Solar PV for about INDRs. 5000 to 6500 only. This is a good way to get away from Darkness and to get some comfort during power cuts.

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